The Fantasia area does not seem too hazardous, but the area around Fareway to the U.S. 60 intersection requires a lot of concentration and second glances, probably keep looking until you are safely through your turn.

I work at the Village and I try to avoid leaving when school is out. I have avoided a couple accidents from students trying to leave school to fast. One I followed to McDonald’s and watched as they barely missed a car as they turned. Just so they could go though drive thru. Maybe they need to have an increase of police patrolling in that area for awhile to make people realize what a danger it is.

I drop someone off occasionally at the Village, and when I come back out of the village, if the traffic is bad at the intersection near the vet, I instead turn on Oak Street and drive up to Washington, and use the red light there.

I don’t think so. I think oil is past it’s resupply point and traffic will start dropping in the very near future as gasoline becomes hard to obtain. Any expansion of roads for more traffic does not make sense to me.

As I filled up with fuel at the east Casey’s Friday afternoon, I watched the madness at the Washington Avenue at times. There were times, when there were more than 20 cars stopped at that corner waiting for traffic to move. Then the intersection would clear out and traffic would flow until a kid on a bike would push the button on the stoplight forcing a loaded semi to come to a full stop in 3 seconds.

If you read the Iowa DOT regulations on controlled intersections, the timing of the yellow light is at the very lowest allowable setting which gives people very little time to react.

That highway does not need less lanes. It will be even more backed up at peak times if lanes are eliminated. We should be thinking “upgrade” not “downgrade”. The stoplights should be upgraded with turning arrows as well.

Last winter, on a day when the roads were slippery, I was stopped at Washington and 18, driving south on Washington. Stopped at the light, the light turned green for me, driver heading south. As I started to go, my tires began to slip on the ice, and I couldn’t get good traction. While I was sitting there, unable to enter the intersection, a big semi was unable to stop also, and he slid through the intersection, where I would have been, if I hadn’t been sliding. In that area of 18, the traffic can get going quickly.

I think they either need a stop light at the intersections where fareway is and where taco johns is…. Or they need to reduce the speed limit through there. I don’t know how many times I have went through those intersections and almost been clipped by someone. It’s really difficult sometimes to get outta the taco johns intersection if you are trying to go west. The speed limit on that road should not be 50 with all of the traffic that goes through there.

Part of the answer to Hwy 18 in Sheldon is slow down & pay attention. Is it worth getting somewhere 5-10 minutes sooner. Could you live with yourself if you caused an accident and someone was killed/serious hurt? How would your love ones feel if they lost you?

No matter how many traffic lanes there are, or stoplights, or what the speed limit, as long as people aren’t paying attention, or are in too big a hurry, there will continue to be accidents.

On a semi-related topic, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Did you know that 90% of crashes between motorcycles and 4-wheel (or larger) vehicles are due to the larger vehicle making a left turn into the path of the motorcycle? I’m not saying that’s what happened in the accident reported above, since I wasn’t there, but it is very common. The bikes are harder to see, which means, car and truck drivers, that you need to be even MORE alert when driving.

Bikers, try to make eye contact with oncoming vehicles, especially if they have activated their left turn signal. If they don’t look your way so you can establish eye contact, assume the driver doesn’t see you, and react accordingly.

If everybody does their part, we can make this motorcycle season a MUCH safer one for all concerned.

I was hit head on back in January 1985 in Yosemite National Park, and I was driving too slow to get out of the way. I had just pulled out from a stop sign and was on ice and snow. A tourist coming around the turn lost control and slid into me. He said it was my fault, but the park ranger who was chasing him with his lights flashing had another version.

Drivers need to take responsibility for themselves instead of the city doing something. There are two things all drivers should do. 1) Drive under the speed limit by 5 mph. This is why there have been so many accidents by Fareway and Sheldon Crossing.
2) When making a left turn, DO NOT turn until you see that BOTH LANES opposite you are clear of traffic. The car waiting to turn left in the (opposing) inner lane is blocking your view of the opposing outer lane. That is why we have had many accidents on Washington.

Those interesections Fareway/Country Club and Taco Johns/Pizza Ranch, the speed limit needs to be reduced! That area is a business district now so the speed should be 35mph not 50mph. I also think a stop light should be placed to slow down the traffic. If these things were implemented i know for a fact that there would be less accidents and injuries. I have emailed the Iowa DOT regarding this and they said that there were not enough accidents to place a stoplight or reduce speed. We pay property taxes so our roads can be safe, and the state of Iowa has a surplus because of our property taxes. Use the money Iowa, before someone else gets seriously hurt! Everyone email the DOT let them know your feelings, maybe enough complaints they will take another look at the situation.

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